Seven new writers joining Study Abroad Blog in fall

May 06, 2010

Blogger and electrical engineering major Katie Souza, Class of ‘11, in Australia this semester.

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The new bloggers represent a diverse group of majors - from art and international relations to neuroscience and civil and environmental engineering — and will study in a variety of international destinations — from Jordan and Japan to Italy and Argentina. || Visit the Study Abroad Blog

The new bloggers, their majors and study abroad sites:

Christina Huang, Class of '12, studio art, Florence, Italy

Anjali Jotwani, Class of '12, economics and environmental studies, London

Veteran blogger Lindsay Baker, Class of '11, an international relations major who previously blogged from Cairo, Egypt, and Seoul, South Korea, will post from Amman, Jordan, during the fall semester.

The bloggers are selected through a competitive application process. The University trains the bloggers and equips them with digital pocket cameras to help them record their experiences.

Semester goalsFor Anjali Jotwani, one goal for her semester in the Bucknell in London program is to "navigate the London Tube (subway) without having to pull out a map or stare at the instruction board. I don't want to stick out like a tourist. I would love it if when I walked down the street I blended in like a local London dweller."

To prepare for his semester in Tokyo, Alex Trueman will immerse himself this summer in Japanese at New York University.

"I know I'm going to have a great time no matter what I see or do," he said. "I want to stay as far away from anything American as possible. I'm going to make a conscious effort to engulf myself in the culture and minimize my use of English."

Living with familyRuss Leggett, who will be in Argentina, has chosen to live with a local family for his time in the country. "I want to meet kids my age, but I also want to have a good connection with middle-aged people to truly get a feel for the country," he said.

While in Argentina, Leggett hopes to take some trips to the Patagonia Mountain Range and, if he can work it out, maybe the Amazon River, too.

Amber Kern, who will be in the Bucknell in London program, was a high school student when she started reading the Bucknell Study Abroad Blog.

Engineer abroad"That really inspired me to try to study abroad, even though that can be difficult when majoring as an engineer," said Kern. "My favorite blogger was a civil engineer who was studying in Australia. When I read her blog, I was determined to study in Australia, too. Although I'm not following in her footsteps exactly, I am positive my experience in London will be more spectacular than I can imagine."

Holly Schoch, who is participating in the Bucknell en Espana program, said her top goal is improving her Spanish. "But my study abroad experience means more to me than just that," she said. "I want to see everything — the buildings, the countryside, the cities, the nightlife — everything."

The Study Abroad Blog has been a popular stop for website visitors since its inception in June 2007. To date, the blog has had more 75,000 hits by readers.

More than 42 percent of Bucknell's undergraduate students spend one or more semesters studying off campus.

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